God's Plan is REAL

Hello friends and family! This week was pretty tough and all of you back home know it was. My heart hurts so bad for the Holland Family with the passing of Briggs. He was the kindest, sweetest boy, and whenever I saw him he always had a smile on his face. Going over to the Holland house was one of my favorite things to do back home and Briggs was always laughing at the stupid things we would do. All my thoughts and prayers go out to Haylie on temple square and Tracie, Steve, Micah, Skylie, Summer, and Kash back home. One major blessing is that Flagstaff is JUST LIKE HOME. It is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. We live in the middle of nowhere up in the mountains and are surrounded by dirt rounds and forrest. And I love it. It's been nice to have that comfort and change of scenery. The weather here is also perfect. Flagstaff itself is like Waterton in the summer, but without the wind. But where we live reminds me of Mountain View. My companion is sister Doru, and she is from Romania. She is hilarious and crazy, but also business only. Her work ethic is incomparable, and we've seen so many miracles in the past week as we've doubled into this new area and got right to work. We get along great. Romanians are brutally honest and they hate following rules or laws of any kind. So it is always an adventure and I love her so much. She always tells me to calm down when I get too excited Haha. Her accent is my favorite. One thing I learned this week is that a testimony is found in the sharing of it, and the best way to heal a hurting heart is to turn outward to lift and bless others. I spent a good deal of time questioning and asking "why" this week, and I had a really hard time with it I'm not going to lie. People always ask us missionaries why a loving God let's bad things happen to good people, and I've never had too much of a problem answering it until now. Until I had the same question myself. But as I've had multiple opportunities in the past week to share God's great Plan of Happiness with others who do not have the knowledge of life after death that we do, the spirit has confirmed to me that it is REAL and TRUE and it really is happy. If any of you have doubts about any part of this plan, I challenge you to share and bear testimony of it. The spirit will come into your heart and confirm to you that it really is true. I've never known it more. And just as our Savior Jesus Christ exemplified, it is no coincidence that when we turn outward to lift and serve those around us we are helped and healed ourselves. The Atonement of Jesus Christ can take over if we let it. And Sister Holland, one of my very best friends is an amazing example of this right now. The whole Holland family is as they share their strength and testimony with all of us in the heat of their own tremendous trial. That is the way the Savior works. I found this scripture that I wanted to share with you all. Mosiah 16: 8-9 "But there is a resurrection, therefore the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death." I love you all and hope that you can feel of my love, and more importantly HIS love, and the angel's that I pray God sends to bear you all up at this time. We really are all called to "mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." - Sister Hardy 1. Me and sis. Doru 2. The TRUCK I get to drive ft. The boots that Brother Dorsey bought me in my last area to thank me for my service in their ward. They are coming in handy out here. 3. My new home.